 Mallory's Divinations, Magic Spell Creation question inspired |
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 May 23 2005, 04:45 PM
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#1
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Great Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935  |
Mallory's Divinations
Quentin Mallory was a young, undeniably brilliant theoretical thaumaturgist of the Pythagorean school, who effortlessly mastered the intricacies of magical mathematics and post-quantum physics. Mallory's doctoral theses for MIT&T set a record as the move thought-provoking, ground breaking, and utterly useless thaumaturgical text to ever be written. In exceedingly bad taste, Mallory went on to have the text mass-produced and sold as an advanced textbook on chronothaumaturgical mathematics and physics. Mallory spends an incredible 1,917 pages proving, through precise and mind-bending multi-dimensional mystical mathematical formulae that sorcery as we know it cannot warp time or space. To compound the utter uslessness of this gargantuan paperweight, described by many students as "Spinecrusher, Breaker of Souls," it concludes with a motley of the most inane and ill-conceived magics ever invented. Most infuriatingly, according to Mallory's arcane computations, each of them should work perfectly. These spells (all at Force 3) include: align chronometer analyze black hole analyze wormhole chronothaumturgical analysis detect alternate timeline detect space/time fold detect teleportation detect time travel detect wormhole measure speed of light Many students suspect professors assign this book to encourage them to develop and utilize levitate spells, or for basic exercise. Publisher: MIT&T Press Price: 300 :nuyen: Availability: 4/24 hours |
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May 23 2005, 05:03 PM
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#2
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
I can see some actual uses for a few of those spells.
The analyze ones are fairly useless if LoS (or touch) restricted, but a non-interference method to observe the speed of light through any medium may have uses or at least provide entertainment for the strange-minded. |
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May 23 2005, 05:04 PM
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#3
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
but it's MEASURE speed of light, not OBSERVE the speed of light... didn't we MEASURE the speed of light a while ago, and found it to be a relative constant?yep, one brainiac there we have...
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May 23 2005, 05:10 PM
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#4
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
No, the speed of light in a vacuum usually measures about the same (probably instrument error for the variances). However, the speed of light through water is slower than through our atmosphere, and there are some other situations where it is slowed much furthur. The velocity of light is greatly diminished through most gemstones, and if I had that spell and a few shiney crystals I could tell you exactly how much.
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May 23 2005, 05:10 PM
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#5
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
Actually we measured the speed of light in a vacum (see: Maxwell Equations). It changes depending on the medium, which is one point on the "Light is a wave" side of the particle/wave duality of light.
The most infuriating part of all: Mallory was a mundane. :D (Edit): One interesting part about that spell is it may well manage to measure the speed of light nondestructively, thereby breaking all the rules of quantum mechanics as we crrently know them. Specifically I'm talking about the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle; using this spell it would theoretically be possible to measure both the speed and, through mundane methods, the position of a particle, thereby breaking quantum mechanics and destroying science as we know it. By the way, I'm thinking of changing my name to Mallory. :D |
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May 23 2005, 05:10 PM
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#6
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Traumatizing players since 1992 Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,282 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 220 |
Light is a constant specific to the material it is travelling through. Light travels slower through some mediums. |
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May 23 2005, 05:12 PM
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#7
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
goes to show just how much I paid attention in science class...
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May 23 2005, 06:54 PM
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#8
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
at least you didn't ask why people with ultrasonic hearing can't pick up radio stations.
heh. this adds new variations to a (bad) joke. "you can't levitate a dead cat in here without collapsing a wave function!" |
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May 23 2005, 07:03 PM
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#9
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
My boredom knows no bounds. Incidentally, Quinn dissapeared mysteriously with twin lounge singers named Rembrant, his overweight Professor, and his cute girlfriend.
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May 23 2005, 07:09 PM
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#10
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Traumatizing players since 1992 Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,282 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Las Vegas, NV Member No.: 220 |
On the general subject, what does the presence of Shedim to do alter the effects of the Schroedinger's Cat equasion? Is that a 3rd state? :D :grinbig: :D
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May 24 2005, 01:24 AM
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#11
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Target Group: Members Posts: 93 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 975 |
twin? |
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May 24 2005, 01:45 AM
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#12
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
Yeah, what do you think this is, a TV parody? :D |
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May 24 2005, 03:29 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 571 Joined: 9-January 05 From: In the 9th circle of hell Member No.: 6,950 |
It's a paradox. ;) |
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May 24 2005, 04:20 AM
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#14
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
I thought there was something familiar about the name...
Now that you mentioned it... No shit! What if we observe light in a vacuum under intense gravity? |
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May 24 2005, 06:59 AM
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#15
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
Oh I am SO having this book be discovered in the Renraku Arcology Mage Labs....
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| Guest_Crimsondude 2.0_* |
May 24 2005, 07:06 AM
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#16
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Guests |
Only 300? What a bargain. |
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May 24 2005, 07:36 AM
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#17
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
What exactly does the spell Chronothaumturgical Analysis do?
It sounds interesting. |
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May 24 2005, 09:06 AM
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#18
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
I suppose it detects and analyzes any magical effects that affect time. Which, considering that none can exist, is really useless, but it's I guess theoretically interesting. :)
(Edit) And it should be called "Analyze chronothaumaturgy" in keeping with the naming convention. |
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May 24 2005, 11:20 AM
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#19
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
Why does a textbook have an Availability? I mean like, doesn't your university bookshop stock your required texts? And if it is as disliked by students as you described, seniors who are graduating would have made it a point to get donate them to unsuspecting freshmen. :D |
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 May 24 2005, 11:24 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 401 Joined: 7-June 02 From: Living with the straw sheep. Member No.: 2,850 |
Of course, if it detects nothing, then the fact that it detects nothing indicates something very interesting about how magic interacts with the phenomenon of 'observation'...Or tells us something very peculiar about Quantum Physics in the SR universe. i.e: If this spell detects nothing, then it does not detect itself...which means that either the magical act of observation is one that does not interfere with the system that is observed, or that observation per se does not interfere with the system that is observed. Heisenberg would have a fit...I think. Disclaimer: I am suffering caffeine withdrawal and a tiger mosquito bite to my left earlobe. Rationality is a foreign country. |
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May 24 2005, 12:56 PM
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#21
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
Bah. Every one of MY University bookstores ends up needing to order a text. Or sends me down to Procopy or Kinko's to get it printed. [/edit]Y'all didn't known Rembrant has a twin? |
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May 24 2005, 01:24 PM
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#22
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,420 Joined: 30-October 03 Member No.: 5,776 |
I believe gravity does in fact effect the speed of light. At least theoretically, that is why a blackhole is without light. The gravity is so strong that it prevents light from escaping its gravity well, thus it is able to bring the speed of light to zero. |
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May 24 2005, 01:34 PM
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#23
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
That or, y'know, analytical spells could just not be reflexive. :) And I'm pretty sure gravity doesn't affect the speed of light. A gravity well is actually no different from an accelorating frame of reference; the light itself does not bend or speed up or slow down, but what actually happens is the "fabric of space-time" bends enough that the straight path the light travels curves along with the curvature of space-time, causing it to never leave the black hole as it makes its way forever down the length of the infinite potential well. Confused yet? :) By the way, Mallory is wrong. "Create Food" bends space-time, as it creates a physical object that has mass, and therefore gravity, therefore bending space-time. So there. :D |
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May 24 2005, 01:37 PM
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#24
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
The presence of strong gravity wells "affects" light, but in a rather complicated way. Often, it's easier to think of gravity as bending space around the gravitational source, which makes the light bend around the source, too. The photons are still travelling in a more-or-less straight line...the track they're on just gets curved.
Physical thaumatology makes my brain hurt. |
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May 24 2005, 02:00 PM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 401 Joined: 7-June 02 From: Living with the straw sheep. Member No.: 2,850 |
Spoilsport :silly: . But would the Analyse Chronothaumaturgy detect another casting of the same spell? And if not, what would the neighbours think? |
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